Cane.



I BEST AVAILABLE COPY Paiented Dec. 3, I901:

F. CAPLES.

6 A N E.

(Application filed Mir. 27, 1901.}

(No Model.)

siren STATES- FRED OAPLES, OF MORGANTOXVE, "WEST V IRGINIA.

CANE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Eietters Eatent NO. 688,1 57, dated December 3, 1901.

Serial No. 53,112. (No model.)

1'0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED CAPLES, n citizen of the United States, residing at Morgantown, in the county or" Monongalia and State of West Virginia, have ipvented a new and useful Cane, of which the following is a speciii cation. I

This invention relates to canes, and particularly to such devices provided with means for automatically feeding and exploding cartridges, torpedoes, and the like; and the object of the present improvement is to provide simple and eifective means in connection with the ferrule end of an ordinary cane for producing a detonation, and thereby aii'ord means of amusement and attraction, the cane being adapted for use either by juveniles Oi adults.

h (it The invention consists in the construction and arrangement or" the several parts which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a cane embodying the "features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of thelower or ferrule end of the cane on an enlarged scale, showing tne parts in position for firing or exploding a cartridge or torpedo. Fig 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the parts in position for feeding a cartridge or torpedo from the magazine down to the firing orezrploding device. Fi his a horizontal section on the line 2 2, 2 lockingdowm wardlyi \well applied to any other article to which it can be operatively fixed. The improvement comprises an upper ferrule or sleeve 2, to which a metallic cylinder 3 is rcmovahly attached by screwthreads 4: to form a flush joint, the said cylinder being intermediate? I t divided by a horizontal paru blOIl o to pro-vi s an upper magazine 6 and a lower feedingchamber 7. The upper end of the magazine is completely open,.so that when the cylinder is detached from the ferrule or sleeve 2 the said upper end of the magazine will be fully exposed for supplying the same with a charge of torpedoes or the like. When the cylinder is attached to the ferrule or sleeve, the magazine is tightly closed. The partition -has a central angular opening 8 extending ver-' tieally therethrough, and. leading to the said opening from the upper side of said partition is a feed chute or groove 9. The lower end of the cylinder is closed by a bottom wall 10, which is located at the lower terminal of the feeding-chamber and has an upper downwardly-inclined surface 11, trending toward an outlet-opening 12, the said wall 10 having a lower horizontally-straight surface which coaets with an adjacent part, which will he presently descrioed,to explode the torpedo or other device. Through the center-of the wall 10 is around or circular opening 13 in alinement with the opening'S through the partition 5 above, and the lower end of the cylinder, in line with the said wall 10, is formed with a circnmierentialseat groove 14.

A plunger 15 is mounted in the partition 5 and wall 10 and is free to have verticalmovement or reciprocation, the lower portion of the stem, fitted in the opening 13, losing round or circular in cross-section, and the upper portion, that moves in the opening 8, being of the same form as the latter. diate point the plunger is formed with an angular enlargement 16 to provide upper and lower limiiingshouiders 1'? and 18, which respectively contact with the lower side of the partition 5 and the upper side of the wall 10 to thereby regularly restrict the movement of the plunger in accordance with a predetermined adjustment and disposal of the several parts. The upperangular portion of the plunger is formed with a recess 19 in one side, which is adapted to aline with the chute or groove 0 to individually receive the cartridges or torpedoes from the magazine and convey them through the opening 8 into the feeding-chamber 7, the movement of the upper portion of the plunger in the magazine being such. as to cause the torpedoes or eartridges to become placed in the chute or At an intermegroove 9, but without liability of aeciden tall y discharging the same. The plunger 'is long enough to project through the lower Wall 10 when raised to its full upward extent and carries a head 20, which moves toward and away from the lower side of said wall and has an upper circumferential flange or gallery 21 to move in the circumferential groove 14 and form a flush joint with the lower end 'of the cylinder, and by the provision of the flange or gallery 21 the torpedoes, cartridges, or the like are prevented from falling away from the head 20 and are always accurately held in firing position. The head 20 also serves as a contact-plug for the cane for ordinary walkinguse when the magazine is not charged or the attachment used for exploding purposes.

The operation of the improved device is simple, and it will be seen that as the plunger feeds the torpedoes or other explosive devices from the magazine 6 into the feedingehanibcr 7 said explosive devices will be individually deposited through the opening 12 in the Wall 10 onto the upper portion of the head 20, the plunger gravitating "when the cane is raised and the upper angular portion thereof occluding the opening 8 in the partition 5 and preventing the escape of any one of the charges or torpedoes in the magazine until that which has been previously fed has been exploded, as clearly shown by Fig. 3. The explosion is effected by forcefully striking the head 20 against an adjacent resistingsurface and applying opposite impacts to the cartridge or torpedo confined in the upper portion of the head and by the latter and the lower side of the wall 10. When the head and plunger are moved upwardly to produce an explosion in the manner stated, the said plunger rises to such an extent as to cause the recess 19 in the upper portion thereof to fully aline with the chute or groove 9, anda torpedo or cartridge rolls thereinto. The subsequent elevation of the cane will permit the head and plunger to gravitate, and by the ownward movement of the plunger the cartridge or torpedo carried thereby is deposited in the feeding-chamber 7 and from the latter passes out through the opening 12 to the head 20, as before, and thus the device is automatically loaded for a succeeding explosion, This operation will be regularly can ried on in a reliable manner until thochargc is exhausted. I

The improved de\ 'ice.will afford considcrable amusement to both juveniles and adults and is particularly useful in parades, {no

see; 5'?

cessions, and the like during political cam paigus or for other celebrations, and While thesimplifiedconstructiondisclosedembodies necessary features it is obvious that changes in the form, size, proportions, and minor details may be resorted to without departing from the principle of the invention, and one of these changes that will be frequently adopted is to make the cylinder 3 in two parts connected by a suitable joint, the said construction affording means of conveniently gaining access to the interior of the cylinder to clean or otherwise prepare the same.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A device for exploding torpedoes or the like comprising a part having a magazine with outlet means, and aplunger having an exploding-head, the said plunger being reciprocably mounted in said part and operating to individually feed the torpedoes or the like to the said head.

2. A device for exploding torpedoes or the like comprising a cylin (lcr divided to form an pper magazine and a lower feeding-chamber separated from the said magazine by a horizontal partition, and a plunger having por tious reciprocablo in said magazine and feedingchamber and movable through said partition and provided with an explodiugdiead.

3. A device of the class set forth comprising a cylinder divided to form a magazine and a feeding-chamber, and a plunger having portions reciprocable in said magazine and chamber and operating to individually feed the explosive means from the magazine, the said plunger being provided with an exploding-head having an upper surrounding flange.

4. A device of the class set forth comprising a cylinder having an intermediate partition with a central opening therethrough and a feedgroove leading thereto, tlie partition forming a magazine and lower feeding-chambcr, the latter having a bottom wall with a central opening therethrough and an outletopcning, and a plunger having movement in said magazine and chamber, the upper portion of the plunger being provided with a reccss and the lower portion havingan exploding-head.

in testimony that 1 claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto ailixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FEED CAIPLES.

Witnesses:

RICHARD MYERS, W. l HAVUKINS. 

